o olute



(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `lsLoLwrITE. FEED WATER REGULATOR.

l//llll/ UNITED STATES @PATENT Orrlcm..

NICHOLAS CLUTE, OF SGHENECTADY, NEW YORK.l

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,889, dated October 4., 1881.

Application filed May 3l, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, N rcHoLAs CLU'rE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsinAutomaticFeed-Water Regulatorsfor SteamlBoilers; Vand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of' the invention, such as will enable others skilled iu the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to (he accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.`

This invention relates to an automatic feed- Water regulator for steam-boilers, the object being to provide an apparatus by which a constant supply of warm orhot wat-er is fed to the boiler, so as'to. maintain a positive water-line therein, and thus obviate the liability to explosion that results from the ordinary intermittent feed.

The invention consists, first, in the combination, with a steam-boiler and supply-pump, of a cut-offcheck-valve and receiver, whereby Water is constantly supplied to the boiler and the overow returned to the su pply-pump through the intermediate connections; second, in acutoft` check-valve consisting of a case containing a valveseat and inclosing a valve attached to a stem projecting through a packing-box at the upper part of the case, and carrying a crossbar for engagement with a trip attached to a yoke or a pump plunger, said valve being held toits seat by pressure otwater and steam from a boiler which connects with the valve-case above the valve, and by the tension of a spiral spring bearing upon the top of the valve-stem5' third, in the combination,with a steam-boiler, a'receiver for both'hotand cold water, and a cut-oft` check-valve, of one or more pumps, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure l is a front view, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a top-plan View, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view with boiler removed. Figlet is a sectional elevation of an ordinary check-valve. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation ot' my improved cut-off checkvalve, and Fig. 6 represents a modified form of my feed-*water apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the'several views.

The letterAdesignates a steam-boiler, which is provided with a supply-pipe, a, that connects with the supply-pump B through the bend or connection al, which contains an ordinary check-valve. This pump B is supplied with water from the receiver C through a pipe, a2, a connection, a,.being interposed, which also contains a check-valve. The receiver C is connected with a pipe, D, having a branch, d, for the reception of cold water from any suitable supply, and a branch, d', which connects with the hot-water pump E. Thisvpump is supplied with hot water from the boiler by the pipesce. Between the pipes e e is a cut-off check-valve, F, which regulates the quantity of overflowwater and steam supplied to the pump E. It will thus be seen that the overiiow hot water is mixed with cold water in the pipe'D, and

thence passed to the receiver C. The receiver G has an overflow-nozzle, c, at the side, and an air-vent, c', at the top.

The cut-off check-valve, arranged to communicate with the pipes e e, consists of a casing, F, which is screw-threaded at its lower end to receive the pipe e, and has a screw-threaded opening in -its side for the reception of the overflow-pipe e'. This caseis madeinseotions, and contains a valveseat, f, for a cup-valve, F', having a notched rim,f'. The cup F is attached to a valve stem, G, which passes through-a packing-box, G, at the top of the case, and carries on the outer side a cross-bar, g, whichengages with the trips h h, that are attached to a yoke, H, secured to the beamfl.

These trips are each provided at their ends with a shoulder, through which passes a setscrew, h', that may be adjusted to varythe lift ot the valve. The sliding cross-barlis perforated for the passage of the guidefstiids t' t', which support at their upper ends anfadjustable cross-bar, k, which is held in place by the adjusting-nuts l l on the upper screwthreaded ends of the studs. The adjustable cross-bar 7c is provided with a downward-projecting pin, m, which serves as a guide for a spiral spring, m', which connects the cross-bar k with the upper end of the valve-stem Gr. By this means it will be seen that after the valvecup F has been raised by the trips h h acting upon the cross-bar g to permit the passage of hot water from the boiler to the hot-water pump and receiver, it is again seated to out oit" this supply by means of the pressure ot' the inowing Water and steam from the pipe c, which acts to partially close the valve when the trips descend from under the cross-bar, and this result is rendered certain and postive by the pressure ofthe spring in upon the top of the valve-stem.

The supply-pump B and hot-Water pump E are respectively connected by their plun gers b cz With the yokes H II', attached to the beam I, which is supported in a suitable frame, K, and connected by a rod, 7.1', with a suitable engine.

It Will be observed that by this apparatus I am enabled to secure a constant automatic feed to the steam boiler, so as to maintain therein a uniform water-line, thus obviating the danger of explosion.

It will also be seen that by passing the overflow-water and steam from the boiler to a rcW ceivcr, which is also supplied with cold Water, I am enabled to heat the latter Without the necessity ot employing thc ordinary heater.

By arranging the cut-oft'check-valve F to be operated by the supply-pump B instead of by the hotwater pump E, I find that I can dispense with the latter pump and with the beam I. In this case the cut'oii' check-valve may be attached to a standard, K, near the supplypump and operated by the trips h h, attached to a yoke, H', connected with the plunger b, as shown in Fig. G. The hot-water pump E being dispensed with, the pipe cis connected directly with the receiver C, and the cold-water pipe d is attached thereto. This makes a more simple and economical arrangement of parts, and one that operates equally well as the construction heretofore described, the pressure of overflow- Water from the boiler being sufcient to supply the receiver' with hot water without the necessity of employing a hot-water pump.

In order to assist thc action of the supplypump, an ordinary check-Valve, M, (shown in Fig. 4,) is placed in the bend a', on each side ofthe pump, the operation of which will be readily understood.

l. In an automatic feed-water regulator for steam-boilers, a receiver for hot and cold water, having an ovcrow-nczzle, an air-vent, a supply pipe or pipes for hot and cold water, and an outlet to a supply-pump for the boiler, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic feed-Water regulator for steam-boilers, a cut-o check-valve haring an entrance for water and steam above the valve, and a valve-stem extending up through a packingbox and actuated to positively seat the valveby a spiral spring, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an automatic feed-water regulator for steam-boilers, the combination of the cut-off check-valve F with the means for operating the same, consisting ot' the trips 7L It, attached to a pump or its connections, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an automatic feed-water regulator for steam-boilers, the combination, with the boiler' A and supply-pump B, connected by pipe a, ofthe receiver C, having one or more inlets for hot and cold Water, an outletto the pump, an cverliownozzle, and an air-vent, and the cut-ott' check-valve F, placed between said boiler and receiver, and communicating with nach through the pipes e c', respectively,where by the overtiow hot water from the boiler is conveyed to the receiver to heat the incoming coid water, andthe whole automatically fed to the boiler, substantially as shown and described.

1n testimony whereof I aflix my Signat ure in presence ot two witnesses.

, NICHOLAS CLUTE.

Witnesses: PHILIP MAURO, F. H; ScHo'r'r. 

